Reishi mushrooms are becoming one of the most talked-about superfoods, with health benefits including improved sleep, immune support, boosted energy, reduced stress, and better gut health. We're here to share the benefits. So let's jump right into why reishi is such a vital mushroom.
What Are Reishi Mushrooms?
Reishi is a functional mushroom that has been used for thousands of years in Eastern medicine. It has a fan-like appearance with a reddish-orange color, so it's hard to miss this mushroom growing in the woods. Reishi has several benefits, ranging from immunity to supporting the body's natural ability to deal with physical and mental stress.
Why Is Reishi Growing in Popularity?
As health and wellness continue to evolve, we find ourselves going back to natural remedies for health. This is why reishi mushrooms have grown in popularity for medical use, despite being used for centuries.
"Reishi mushrooms are great for stimulating the immune system, liver function, and producing an anti-inflammatory effect in the body, Rachel Gargiulo, RD, a certified nutrition consultant at Nourishing Journey in Columbia, MD.
If you're looking to recharge after a long day, reishi would be the perfect way to do so.
The Health Benefits of Reishi Mushrooms
Support the Immune System
The COVID pandemic has reminded us of boosting and strengthening our immune systems to fight illnesses. For thousands of years, reishi has been used in Eastern medicine for immune support. It is commonly known as the "mushroom of immortality."
Nutrient-Dense
Reishi is a nutrient-dense superfood rich in compounds that benefit health.
Reishi mushrooms contain:
- Essential nutrients like potassium
- Vitamins B, D, K are protein-rich
- Beta-glucans support the immune system
- Polysaccharide compounds help activate immune cells and influence cellular immunity
Learn more about superfoods in Our Guide to Mushroom Superfood Nutrition here.
Reduce Stress & Fatigue
Reishi is adaptogenic, which means that they help the body manage stress and regulate normal body function. We find that reishi works best in handling mental stress and anxiety when incorporated into our daily routine. Reducing stress and anxiety can help you perform better at work, on the field, on the court, or wherever you #CultivateGreat and lead a happier life.
Improve Liver Function
Research on reishi mushroom spores has been found to promote liver cell regeneration in mice, which improves liver functions to remove toxins from the body. Having a healthy liver is essential for maintaining good health, including supporting blood sugar and allergies.
Alleviate Depression & Anxiety
Apart from supporting the immune system, the reishi mushroom has also reduced depression and fatigue. Research shows that over 24,000 participants were examined to assess how often they consumed mushrooms. The study found that participants who had been eating moderate to high levels of mushrooms had lower symptoms of depression. This theory proved that lower cases of depression were seen because participants had high levels of vitamin B-12 antioxidants and anti-inflammatory components.
Another study with 48 breast cancer survivors concluded that fatigue had reduced, and the quality of life was improved after only four weeks of taking reishi.
Improve Sleep
Did you know that reishi can help balance your sleep cycles?
Consistent with its stress-coping adaptogenic properties, reishi may help improve sleep cycles and fight insomnia. Investing in performance is part of an everyday routine, like training, with nutrition. The more reishi is incorporated into daily routine, the better our team has found its benefits to sleep. Getting a good night's sleep is critical for preparing for work, competition, life, and recovery from athletic performance.
Boost Energy
Research proves that reishi has adaptogenic properties that improve one sleep. For example, one animal study found that reishi increased non-rapid eye movement sleep (NREM sleep), an essential process of getting into a deep sleep state. In addition, reishi has been found to boost energy, especially when someone is sleep-deprived. Getting good quality sleep can affect your mental and physical performance; it's essential to balance, recover and recharge.
Support Gut & Digestive Health
Reishi has been used to support gut health and digestion because it is gut-friendly and has prebiotics, which helps nourish the gut. Functional mushrooms like reishi have also been used to prevent gastrointestinal issues such as leaky gut and irritable bowel syndrome.
Prevent Premature Aging
Reishi has been used for multiple centuries and has gained the nickname “the mushroom of mortality” due to its health benefits of boosting the immune system and increasing health longevity. Research has found that Reishi is the mushroom with the highest antioxidant properties contributing to the antiaging effect. A unique protein named Ganoderma lucidum peptide is potent in antioxidants alongside polysaccharides and triterpenes to prevent premature ageing.
Ways to Consume Reishi Mushrooms
Reishi has been traditionally consumed in herbal mushroom teas, powders, soups, and broths. But, lucky for you, these mushrooms are easier to bring home than you think. So today, you can find them in capsules, powders, and even snacks. In the present day, you can get reishi mushrooms in capsules and a cocoa blend of some of our favorite functional mushrooms, including chaga, lion's mane, and cordyceps.
Functional Mushrooms from Hekate
So now you know about all the incredible health benefits of reishi mushroom, and you're ready to #CultivateGreat with reishi. Where do you start?
We love having Daily Functional Mushroom Cocoa, which contains an equal blend of reishi, cordyceps, chaga, and lion's mane mushrooms. Here are some of our favorite ways to enjoy it:
- A morning coffee
- A delicious berry smoothie
- A cup of steamed oat milk or hot chocolate
- A bowl of oatmeal
- A bowl of fruit
- And any other way you choose to get our daily dose.
If you want something that you want to take from work to the gym or the training field, we've got you! We offer convenient Daily Functional Mushroom Capsules that you can take three times a day to feel like your best self.
Bottom Line
We know you're dedicated to building a foundation for the future. But peak performance doesn't come easy. Routine and practice drive our lives because we know it pays off in the end.
We hope you found this helpful to cultivate the most impactful daily routine for you. Shop our line of performance mushrooms.
Recommended Dosage
Our Hekate mushroom products are NSF certified for Sport, vegan, organic, GMO-free, and gluten-free.
We recommend a daily dosage of 3 capsules for our Daily Functional Mushroom Capsules, containing 125mg of reishi mushrooms per serving.
Suppose you're taking our Daily Functional Mushroom Cocoa. In that case, we recommend taking half a tablespoon at the start of your day or before you train or workout. Each serving contains an equal dose of 125mg of reishi mushroom.
References
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4799037/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22659462/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22203880/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34333177/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22207209/
https://www.lifeextension.com/magazine/2013/2/how-reishi-combats-aging